364
by bnr848
Summary: After a rough first year, she had 364 days to plan a perfect day.


364

By: Dupin848

 **Disclaimer: The publicly recognized characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plots are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

He'd been right all along. He hadn't gloated, hadn't pointed out the obvious. He had simply forgiven her.

She had been hard on herself, but then again, he had been all too forgiving. She had been such a fool. How could she been played so easily? Castle had provided the answer, "Kate, they used your one weakness, your love for me and your family." She knew he was right, now it was time to put it all behind her.

In the end it was much bigger than she or the NYPD could handle. The Agency had swooped in and cleaned up the mess. Credit had gone to the higher ups, and her name was a mere footnote. All she knew was it was over and her family was safe; and that was enough for her. She was done. Done with Bracken, Lok-Sat and saving the world.

She had finally begun to enjoy being Captain, and she was more than thrilled to play the role of Mrs. Castle. Castle had handed over the day-to-day operations of his PI business to Haley. Alexis was back at Columbia, applying to grad school. Ryan and Esposito were taking charge of cases and making a name for themselves. The Twelfth Precinct was running like a well-oiled machine, and she couldn't be prouder.

They were married, they were happy and she was determined to keep it that way. Martha had finally found the perfect place and Alexis spent more time at her boyfriend's then at the loft. For all intents and purposes, they lived alone.

She had a lot of making up to do. Castle had stuck by her, never wavering. She loved him and was determined to make their second anniversary special. She had been planning and plotting for months. This was going to be Castle worthy.

She called in every favor owed her, and even reached out to Castle's buddy, the Mayor. Not one to pass up an opportunity to pull one over on his friend, the Mayor had been eager to jump on the bandwagon. Martha and Alexis were willing participants and Lanie and the boys were all in.

The memory of their first anniversary was bitter sweet. He'd been so adorable, trying to make the best out of an awkward situation. She could barely contain herself when his surprise confetti bomb unexpectedly exploded. The effort behind his gesture had done her in. As it turned out, circumstances dictated they postpone their celebration for one day; but boy had they made up for it.

It was now her turn to surprise him. This anniversary celebration would be her crowning glory. It would take 364 days, but she would make sure this celebration was all about him. So, what do you get the man that has everything? You grant him a wish, you make his flight of fancy come true, and this would be epic. He would never see it coming.

She had loved their wedding. It was simple and intimate. Though spur of the moment, Castle had done everything right. But now, after their tough first year, it was time for him to have the wedding he could only imagined.

Viggo Jansen had been remarkable. He had given her full access to the closed and abandoned Mars simulation module. He had made all needed personnel available and had insisted it was the least he could do. The fiasco of having his entire crew charged with murder had not been exploited, thanked largely in part to Detective Beckett's ability to have the State Attorney's Office reach pleas with the defendant's. Jansen had been grateful. The Mar's mission program had been placed on hold, but the equipment and simulation module had remained in place. He was delighted to lend the simulation module for a happy occasion.

Kate was ecstatic; Castle would get his wedding in outer space. There were enough suits for eight of them and she only need seven. All systems were a go.

A week before their anniversary, she and Lanie met with Jensen's people to help set up the simulator module before they restarted the atmospheric control system. The plan was rather simple. Castle had always complained he was never able to get pictures of himself all decked out in his Mar's spacesuit. She would tell him she had arranged for him to play in the simulator and take all the pictures he wanted. Alexis, Lanie, Espo, Ryan and the Mayor would be in the capsule waiting. Martha and her dad would then join them via the control center. Both, Martha and Jim had stated they were too old for their children's shenanigans and would rather view the festivities from the earthly, air conditioned control center. When Kate had laid-out her plan, a laughing Martha had said, "You know Katherine, Richard met his match when he found you." Kate had smiled, knowing darn well her mother-in-law was right.

As their anniversary approached Kate prepared for the mission. In order to throw him off, she had also hidden decoy anniversary gifts around the apartment. All expertly wrapped boxes, containing "Gotcha notes" inside. The real gifts all led to the pièce de résistance, and those were well secured. She had thought each gift out. Her plans rivaled a strategic invasion, nothing would be left to chance.

Keeping in mind that the symbol for the second anniversary is cotton, she had a one hundred percent cotton, personalized tee shirt made that read, "Proud Land Owner: 40.74813 N / 9.70136 W," those had been the best coordinates to Mars she could find. Kate then located a company that actually sells property on Mars. After all, who wouldn't want to own land on Mar, and thanks to , for the sum of two-hundred-and forty-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents, she could avoid any future land rush. Castle would receive a framed deed, map and registration certificate along with Planet Mars Codes, Covenants and Restrictions, a Mars map, Mars atlas software and an authentic copy of the Mars Constitutional Bill of Rights, along with a Meteorite Moon Rock **.** The certificate listed Richard Castle as the proud owner of twenty acres of land on Planet Mars. In addition, she had bought him a new drone, since he had crashed and burned his last one. This one had set her back a pretty penny, but it had all the bells and whistles, including a high resolution camera. The kid at the hobby shop had promised it was guaranteed to withstand a few rough, Castle style, landings. She would take him to lunch, give him his presents and surprise him with the simulator photo op; it would all connect, he would never guess.

Two days before their anniversary she could tell Castle had gone on a "search and destroy" mission looking for hidden presents or clues. When she arrived from the precinct, she could not help but snicker as he laid on the couch, holding an upside down magazine, pretending to read. "Castle, good thing you didn't follow in your father's footsteps, because you would make a terrible spy," she said as she yanked the magazine out of his hands, and bent down to kiss him. Off balance, and in her signature heels, Castle took the opportunity to pull her down. She fell on him, both laughing as they continued kissing. "You know, sooner or later I'm going to find my loot, so you might as well give it up," he teased. "I thought I had _given it up_ , a long time ago," she added with a giggle and an eye roll. "Well, my dear Detective Beckett, aren't we in a frisky mood." He kissed her, while divesting her of her jacket in short order. She was in a good mood, and the fact that she was home, in her husband's arms was the cause.

It was well past seven before he got back to the kitchen. Castle busied himself with dinner while she showered. He too had been plotting. He was determined to make this, and every single anniversary special. They had endured a trying first year, but they had found their way. Last year had been about subtleness and simplicity. This year it was all about romance. Kate had already called dibs on the day, starting at noon, something they had agreed to do in order to avoid conflicting surprises. He however, had plans of his own. Their anniversary fell on a Saturday and the morning was his.

Never one to be out done, Richard Castle had come up with a memorable gift. He had gotten her a teeny weenie bikini, which he knew she would never agree to wear in public, and two tickets to Bora Bora. She would finally get that long postponed honeymoon. They'd be gone for seventeen days. With the help of Deputy Commissioner Gates, he had been able to check and clear her schedule. Gates had already arranged for an Administrative Captain to cover the precinct while she was gone. November in Tahiti, at The Brando on the private island of Tetiaroa, Kate would love it.

Friday, Kate had been called in at four-thirty in the morning. There had been a murder and the victim was a big time Wall Street trader. Espo had called Kate to give her the heads-up before the brass started calling themselves. She had dressed and headed in, knowing that a high profile case would warrant close supervision. By six that morning her phone was ringing, One PP was already circling. Luck had been on their side, and surveillance tapes had provided a play-by-play of the murder. A messy crime scene and physical evidence had led to the identification of the subject. By eleven that morning they had a subject in custody, and by three that afternoon a signed confession. At six-thirty that evening she was back home. Fourteen hour days were rare, but occasionally happened. She was exhausted, and glad to be home; she was officially off for the next three days.

That night they'd had a quiet dinner at home and caught up on the day's events. She filled Castle in on the case, lamenting how the victim had been murdered by his girlfriend's ex-husband. He had planned to kill the boyfriend, his ex-wife and then himself. Unable to locate his ex-wife at her apartment he had stalked the victim, waiting for him in the parking lot of his office building. Even after being shot, the victim had put up a fight, providing them plenty of physical evidence. A witness had been able to give a vehicle description and the surveillance video had provided the rest. The subject had been apprehended before he could locate his ex-wife. By ten that night a weary Kate was out like a light.

It had worked out well for him. Castle was up by six Saturday morning. He tip-toed out of the bedroom, leaving Kate fast asleep. He carefully removed the seven-hundred and thirty balloons he had stashed in the upstairs bedrooms and brought them downstairs. He hung the "Happy 2nd Anniversary" banner, and went about making breakfast. Waffles, with fresh fruit, and coffee, just the way she likes it, skim latte, with two pumps sugar free vanilla.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee roused her. Remembering what day it was she smiled and looked at the clock; six-forty-five. She could hear her husband in the kitchen making breakfast. If she was really lucky, he would forgo the smorelette and make her waffles. But, if smorelette's were on the menu, she would love every bite. She quickly rose, went to the bathroom to freshen up and readied herself to join him.

She was stopped mid yawn as she walked into the living-room by a wall of bright, colorful balloons. There must have been hundreds of them. Each balloon had "I love you Kate" printed on it; she was speechless. "Castle?" she called from behind the balloons. He walked towards her, watching as a grin burst from her face. "Happy Anniversary" he said, as he grabbed her and tenderly kissed her lips. "Happy Anniversary," she replied. "Babe, where did you get these balloons? There must be hundreds of them," she inquired with a smile and a giggle. He grabbed her hand and led her towards the kitchen. "Actually, there are seven-hundred and thirty balloons, one for each day we've been married." He sat her at the counter, but before he could let go of her hand she pulled him towards her and kissed him. When they parted, he could see tears in her eyes. "Kate, why are you crying? Don't you like the balloons?" "Castle, I love the balloons, I'm just blown away. This is beautiful, I can't believe you did all this." Castle sat next to his wife, and cradled her face in his hands, "Kate, I love, I would do anything for you." He rose, adding, "I made you breakfast, and I know you'll be heartbroken, but it's not a smorelette, you'll have to settle for waffles." She laughed, as he served her waffles topped with fresh strawberries. Waffles and coffee, just the way she likes it; life was good. How she loved this man, she thought to herself, as she took a bite and smiled. They finished breakfast amidst giggles and kisses. The giggles grew shorter, the kisses grew longer. Before long they had made their way back to the bedroom.

It was ten o'clock when they next awoke. "Castle, at noon I get you for the rest of the day." "If I'm not mistaken, I believe you've already had me," he added as he rolled over and kissed her. "Alright, at noon, but until then, it's still my turn." She watched as a naked Castle scurried to his office and returned with a beautifully wrapped box. It was a small cube and it intrigued her. He crawled back into bed, handed her the box and added, "Happy anniversary Kate, and keep in mind that cotton is the symbol for the second anniversary." They sat crossed legged facing each other as Kate took the package and started to tear away at the wrapping. She pulled out what seemed like a beautiful topaz colored swatch, only to discover it was a microscopic bikini. She held both pieces up, a bit perplexed, "Babe, it's a beautiful color, but I hope you know, you're the only person that will ever see this." He laughed, leaned in for a quick kiss and added, "There's more." He reached into the drawer of his nightstand and pulled out a gold colored envelope, handing it to her. Inside she found the tickets and a brochure for the hotel; the pictures alone left her breathless. "Oh my God! Castle this is beautiful, this was supposed to be our honeymoon," she said as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Kate, the tickets already have dates. Gates already approved your time off and assigned an Administrative Captain from One PP to cover for you at the twelfth for three weeks. Stick that bikini in your purse, grab your passport and we are set." She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Have I told you how much I love you?" she whispered.

Thank God she had arranged for a four o'clock meet. Everyone would be at the simulator by three-thirty, they had to be there by four. It was eleven thirty and they were still in bed. At this rate, lunch might end up being a hotdog from a street cart. "Babe? Castle? She nudged him several times before he opened his eyes, smiled and grabbed for her. "Oh no you don't, we need to get going," she told him. "Do we have to?" he sounded like a four-year-old, "Come on, you want your gift, don't you?" "You're my gift," he replied with a wicked grin. She pulled him out of bed and directed him towards the bathroom. Showering turned into a battle of wills, as he had other things in mind. He was in a very playful mood, but the promise of his gift got him motivated enough. By one they were headed towards the parking garage.

She had hidden his gifts in the Ferrari. "The Ferrari!" he had exclaimed. "That's the only place I didn't look. I even searched your car the other night after you went to bed." She laughed, adding, "I know, the night guard called to say someone was breaking into my police car. I told him it was probably you, and you were researching auto thefts for a novel." "Here's the deal, you can't open any of your gifts until we get to the restaurant," she said, as if addressing a child. He frowned and asked, "Where are we going? She laughed, tossing the keys at him, adding, "We're going to one of your favorite burger joints, and you can drive. Now, off we go, Black Iron Burger, the one on East 5th Street." Twenty minutes later they were walking into the restaurant, gifts in hand.

He was worse than a child on Christmas morning. The minute they were seated he wanted to open his gifts. "Castle, could we at least order first?" She loved this about him, his child-like enthusiasm over small things, his utter enjoyment of special occasions, and his total abandonment of adult restraints. He quickly called over a waiter and ordered; two beers, the Black Iron Burger for him and the Classic Turkey Burger with wasabi mayo for her. The minute the waiter walked away he chimed, "Ok, we ordered. Now can I open my presents?" She laughed and handed him the largest of the wrapped gifts. "I was hoping you'd give me the big one first," he said as he started tearing at the wrapping. His eyes grew wide with awe as he spotted the drone. "Oh my God, Kate, this is the bestest gift every! A DJI Phantom 3 with a high definition camera, and it shoots stills and video; this is phenomenal! I can't believe you got me this, you were so happy when I crashed and burned my last one! This is a thousand times better than that one. I love it." He leaned in and kissed her, remaining focused on the box. "Castle, no flying that thing in the bathroom while I shower, or I promise it too will crash and burn" she warned laughingly. He looked at her, crossed his heart and promised, "Scouts honor. I will only use this drone for good." She snickered, adding, "We've been down this road before, you were never a scout."

He was still reading the features of his latest acquisition when the waiter returned with their order. "Cool drone," commented the young waiter. "Thanks, my wife just gave it to me, it's our anniversary. I sort of killed my last one." "I have the older model, they're easy to fly and lots of fun. They have a _Follow Me_ feature, it can trail you if you want. It's really neat. Cool drone, cool wife. Enjoy your meal, let me know if you need anything." The waiter walked away, leaving Castle smiling at his new toy and his wife. "He's right you know, cool wife."

The burgers were finished quickly and the beers were slowly enjoyed. After the plates were removed, Kate presented him with his second package. He opened the box to find a navy blue tee shirt with stark white letters reading, "Proud Land Owner: 40.74813 N / 9.70136 W." 'It will make more sense when you open the envelope," she explained, a grin framing her face. He reached behind the folded tee shirt and removed a large manila envelope. As he tore into the envelope and started to read, his eyes lit up and his smile widen. "Coordinates! My shirt has coordinates to my property? I own twenty acres on Mars?" How's it possible I didn't know of this land venture? Mrs. Castle, our next home is on Mars!" "Happy Anniversary Babe," she managed through some giggles. "Kate, I love it, thank you." He stood, leaned over and kissed her; a soft, thoughtful kiss that expressed his love and adoration. "There's one more gift, but I couldn't wrap this one. Remember Viggo Jansen's, Mars Simulator? Well, I've arranged for us to spend an hour inside the simulator, in the space suits. We can take all the pictures and videos we want. Mr. Jansen has the simulator running again, and he has agreed to let us visit today. His people will be waiting for us at four." He stood, slapped his credit card on the table, grabbed his tee shirt and said, "Be right back, I need to go change." By the time he returned, sporting his new _land owner_ tee shirt, Kate was signing the receipt.

As they headed to the car, Castle gleefully toting his loot, she started to get nervous. It was a quarter past three, all systems were go. Lanie had texted her, advising everyone was there, the plan was set and ready. "This is going to be so awesome. We'll make a video, a la Matt Damon in The Martian. Ryan and Espo are going to be so jealous," he added as he placed his presents in the trunk. Castle was giddy with anticipation and she was a wreck.

They arrived at the nondescript warehouse, Castle practically jumping out of the car before she had shut off the engine. The guard at the front door greeted them and buzz them in. "I can't believe you got Jansen to agree to this. You arrested his entire exploration team," he stated. "Yes, but we also discovered he had a mole in his operation and a leak of classified information. We also made sure Jansen could control the narrative with the press. In the end, Jessen was grateful for the way it was handled." They walked in the building making their way to the outer office where they were greeted by one of the engineers. "Mr. and Mrs. Castle, welcome. I'm Edward Rodriguez, the facilities manager. The simulator has been fully acclimatized to Mars atmosphere, so you will have to wear the spacesuits. There are two suits waiting for you in the changing area. We will be here conducting monitoring tests until five-thirty, we ask you start heading back out at five to allow time to change and exit the facility. You will be able to communicate with us in the control center via your helmet communications system as well as the module craft. When you've changed, Dr. Bruce Hill will escort you in." She took a deep breath, thanked Rodriguez and proceeded to the changing area with Castle.

"Got your phone?" asked a jittery Kate. "Yeap, got it right here," added Castle as he waved the phone in his hand. To Kates surprise and Castle's delight, Jensen had had their names stitched onto the spacesuits and printed on the helmets. There was also a note. _"Detective, Happy Anniversary to you and Mr. Castle. I hope you both find your visit to the simulator a lot more enjoyable this time around. Please accept these suits as an anniversary gift and a small token of my appreciation. Since I know it is against NYPD policy to accept gifts, let there be no doubt that the suits are intended for Mr. Castle, a civilian, thus not an employee of the NYPD. Congratulations, Viggo Jansen_." As he left the room, Rodriguez gave her a small wink; everything was ready.

They changed into the suits in record time. Holding their helmets as they walked towards the door, Kate turned to Castle and kissed him. He looked at her, noting the serious look on her face. "Kate, are you alright?" he inquired. "Castle, before we go in the simulator I need to confess something to you," Kate softly added. Castle turned towards her, his head halfcocked and waited. "Richard Alexander Castle, I love you. I've loved you from the moment you stole the Tisdale file from my desk." They both giggled and Castle whispered, "I love you too," and softly kissed her. They met Dr. Hill outside the airlock, secured their helmets and entered Mars.

They were no more than three steps inside the simulator when Kate grabbed Castle by the hand. "Babe, remember when we were planning our wedding how you suggested getting married in space?" Castle laughed and shook his head. "I still say that would have been the coolest wedding, EVER!" he added. Amidst the echo of the transmission, she could hear him giggle at the thought. "Castle, will you marry me?" he heard Beckett through the static, and looked at her with a bewildered glance. "Kate, I'd marry you every day and twice on Sunday, but you do know we're already married," he added. Just then Kate said "Ok guys, let's do this." As the transmission echoed, Lanie, Espo, Ryan, Alexis and the Mayor exited the module and joined them. The look on Castle's face was priceless.

Still stunned and unsure of what was happening, Castle walked up to Kate. "Beckett?" was all he managed to utter. Esposito walked up to him and pulled him towards the Mayor. "Hey Rick, I'll have you know, my legal team has advised me, geographically my authority extends vertically. So technically, if Mars trajectory is over New York, this wedding should be legal. Let's just say, it's a good thing you're already married." The Mayor laughed as he slapped Castle on the back. Rick was still at a loss; what was going on? Alexis walked over and grabbed his attention, "Dad, this is your space wedding. Kate put this together for you. Grams and Jim are in the control center listening and watching. It's more of a renewal of your vows." Everyone had heard what she said, Castle was now smiling ear to ear. He strutted towards Kate, took her hand and said, "Were it not for the fact that we would get violently ill, I would take our helmets off and give you the biggest kiss possible." With tears in her eyes, Kate smiles, puckered her lips and blew him a kiss. "I couldn't find a big enough rollercoaster…" she added with a grin and tears in her eyes.

Ever the voice of reason, the spell was broken by Lanie, "Okay you two, enough of that, let's get this show on the road, we don't have all day." With that Lanie handed Kate a small bouquet, taped a boutonniere onto Castles space suit, and everyone took their designated spot; the first Mars wedding was about to begin. Although everything was automatically recorded through the control center, Alexis took video and Ryan snapped pictures during the ceremony. Kate and Castle pretty much repeated the vows from their first wedding, with Castle adding to love Kate "to infinity and beyond." Everyone chuckled, when in closing, the Mayor proclaimed, "Now, by the powers vested in me by the State of New York and all planets within its jurisdictional gravity pull, I now proclaim that you are husband and wife in all galaxies known and unknown." They took various funny pictures, kissing helmet to helmet, Castle carrying his bride, Kate tossing her bouquet, and the happy couple dancing. They heard Martha and Jim laughing from the control center, as they too joined in the congratulatory messages. To their surprise, the Mayor presented them with a framed certificate, proclaiming them married in New York, Mars and all "galaxies far, far away." At five o'clock, they took a group picture and walked towards the airlock.

Once changed, they joined their family and friends in the control center. Jim and Martha had surprised them all with Champaign. After toasts from Jim, Ryan, Espo and the Mayor, Castle raised his glass and called for everyone's attention. "Friends, your attention. A toast, to my wife. The woman that continues to be extraordinary. Kate, you never fail to amaze me. I fall in love with you every day; and hope to do so every day of my life. I will love you, Always." They clinked glasses, and took a sip. Castle bent over, kissed his wife and smiled. Kate kissed him back and softly added, "Always."

That night as he watched his wife sleep, Richard Castle smiled. A million days loving her would never be enough, but right now he had three-hundred-and-sixty-four days, until he could prove to her just how much another year with her meant to him. That's how long he had to plan, three-hundred-and-sixty-four days.


End file.
